The walkability factor
House-hunting? Try walking around the neighborhood before you sign on the dotted line.
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People who live in older, more “walkable” neighborhoods, researchers at the University of Utah report, are less likely to be overweight or obese than those in newer areas. The investigators used census data and height and weight information from 453,927 residents of Salt Lake County. People who lived in more walkable neighborhoods—typically built before 1950—weighed between 6 and 10 pounds less than those in more modern areas where people have to drive to get where they want to go.
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The design of a neighborhood can even affect how much television people watch. Women living in walkable communities, Australian researchers report, watched significantly less TV than did those in pedestrian-unfriendly areas. (Men, however, were just as likely to be glued to the screen no matter where they lived.)
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It’s hardly surprising that living in a neighborhood where you can step out the door and walk encourages people to be more active. In a study published in 2007 in Stanford Medicine Magazine, which looked at people who had resolved to get more exercise, 67 percent of those in pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods reached their goal of at least two-and-a-half hours of exercise a week, compared to only 30 percent in car-centric areas.
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For more information, including a great checklist of the features that make a community pedestrian friendly, check out the FAQs at Walkable Communities, a non-profit consulting group based in Orlando, Florida.
Tags: built environment, neighborhood design, physical activity, walkable community
This is so true! My husband and I lived in a newer home and a newer neighborhood when our kids were growing up, and just a couple of years ago moved to an older, more established neighborhood. What a difference! In the newer subdivision you didn’t know your neighbors, you didn’t see people outside, and when people came home from work they pulled into their garages and pushed a button for the door to close before they even got out of their car. But in the older neighborhood we have found community — neighbors are outside interacting with each other, and it’s difficult to even look out the front window without seeing someone walking. I walk the neighborhood at least once a day now, and more times than not, in the morning and in the evening. And I do believe that it’s not only physically healthier, but emotionally, as well. It’s the perfect stress reliever! And it really is because our current neighborhood is, as this article describes, just more “walkable.” And our household supports the research in one other way — the man of the house is still glued to the TV screen except when I can cajole him into getting off the couch, holding my hand, and taking a relaxing walk with me.
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